Behind The Gold: Freestyle Skier Donna Weinbrecht

Donna Weinbrecht at the 1992 Winter Olympic Games in Albertville, France.

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Thousands pack deer valley every January to watch a sport that had its Olympic debut just 22 years ago.

Hi, this is Tom Kelly and I’ll be right back with the Olympic story Bbehind The Gold.

Moguls skiing brought a new era to the Olympics at Albertville in 1992 – music mixed with skiing, with athletes bam-bam-bamming their knees down the bumps and launching themselves into the air, twisting and turning. It was a matchup between two of the powerhouse nations: the USA and the host nation of France.

Jersey girl Donna Weinbrecht, a former art student and Killington waitress, came into the games with headlines blazing. Her blonde ponytail was a signature cover shot embodying the freeness of the new sport. She had started skiing moguls as a teen. Now, at 26, she was poised for history.

In qualifications a day earlier, she had been second to French favorite Raphaelle Monod. In the medal round, she pounded her way down the course through the swirling snow to the sounds of Robert Gordon’s 'Rock Billy Boogie', launching her trademark daffy-twister-spread at the bottom to take the lead.

Then, it was wait and watch as Monod came down to deafening cheers – succumbing to the pressure at the bottom of the course as Weinbrecht was crowned her sport's first Olympic champion.

Today, the Hall of Famer Weinbrecht remains attached to her sport and is a frequent visitor to the Deer Valley World Cup here in Park City.

This is Tom Kelly with Behind The Gold. Only in Park City. Only on KPCW.